visiting Mom and F.D.

Sometimes I start thinking that my life is my work, or all of the activities that I try to cram into each day. And then some family event comes up, and the world stops, and life happens.

This Friday we packed up and headed out of town, through the miles and miles of green, zooming past us out the window, and the immovable sunny sky above. We talked of this and that, as we always do on trips. We settled details and made plans and solved the world's problems. Then, just as we were thinking that we just needed a nap, we arrived at the familiar mailbox and the long curved driveway.

We dragged in the luggage and fell into warm embraces. Pop was sitting at his easy chair watching TV, Mom was puttering. We had to take Martin's quilt top off of the table before supper, and Mom showed me the back. I won't spoil the surprise. You'll have to wait until it is finished. We all visited and went to bed when it felt good to do so.

I slept late the next morning, and was awakened to breakfast and fresh flowers and visiting. Everyone converged on the place: Jenny & Gene, Emily, Nick, Chris, and Danny, Robert & Lauren, Eliana, and Jefferson. We didn't really do anything. We just were.

There is no way I could reconstruct all that happened. Maybe nothing happened. We weren't in a hurry. And yet we had sumptuous meals, washed dishes, made peach freezer jam, and checked the blog and shared old e-mails. We watched Jefferson almost crawl (scoot, really) toward an open book Wimon held out for him while Lauren took pictures. I asked Eliana if she wanted to talk to Marissa and the phone, so we called. Then she said she wanted to talk to Marcella, so we left a message for her, too. After many comments about Jefferson's size, we weighed him: over twenty pounds! (no wonder my arms ache today). Everyone shared stories of adventures past and present. We went to see Jenny's summer projects at her house: a new floor, painted walls, rearranged furniture. Gene was mowing the spent wildflowers. Mom took Eliana out to the henhouse and gathered eggs. We had homemade ice cream with fresh peaches piled on top. Somewhere along the line the chiggers found me. Robert shared his views political and told us what he would do if he were the pope of the sports world. The men watched some sports, the women talked. I went out on the back porch with Jefferson, just to hear the birds and feel the warm breeze. The hummingbirds whizzed past us, and we feasted our eyes on the flowers. Jefferson grinned.

Wimon and I went on to the Tiptons' home for the night. Eliana was in her element. She showed us around and talked up a storm. I understood some of it, too! We all took turns playing with Jefferson, though he was happy to sit and smile to himself at all our antics.

The next morning was church at Oak Hills. We never get out of there without seeing someone we know, usually from Minter. This time it was Jay and Amy. After lunch at Rudy's and about six goodbye hugs all around and a walk to the car and more hugs, we all left.

It wasn't quite over when we got home, though: Jenny brought the boys to Impact and Emily to Passport. We might see them again this week before it's all over.

This morning I realized that I had not even looked at my work all weekend. We picked up where we left off on Friday. It felt like I was back in my old life again. . . We talked about the difference between SABER and CONOCER. I tried to explain to my class that you just cannot SABER a person, you can only SABER facts. CONOCER happens when you are acquainted with a person or place, and it becomes familiar.

Maybe life is what happens when you deepen your CONOCER. That's what we did this weekend. Wish you all could have been there!